Etymology Map
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Sarcophagus

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a stone coffin, typically decorated

Where does the word "sarcophagus" come from? It comes from Greek sarkophagos, passing through Latin before entering English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
sarkophagos
Greek · ancient
"flesh-eating (stone)"
'flesh-eating', for a limestone quarried near Assos that was believed to consume corpses within weeks
2
Stage 2 of 3
sarcophagus
Latin · ancient
"stone coffin"
Pliny the Elder describes the stone; the name passed to stone coffins generally
3
Stage 3 of 3
sarcophagus
English · 1600s
"stone coffin"
used for the carved coffins of antiquity
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Read the full story

Sarcophagus’s story begins in Greek: sarkophagos meant “flesh-eating (stone).” 'flesh-eating', for a limestone quarried near Assos that was believed to consume corpses within weeks. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as sarcophagus. Pliny the Elder describes the stone; the name passed to stone coffins generally. It reached English by 1600s as sarcophagus. Used for the carved coffins of antiquity. Today, sarcophagus means a stone coffin, typically decorated.